Bold Blooms at Dior Couture

A Dior couture fashion show is always a spectacle, with touches of well-thought-out whimsy and inspired theatricality. That said, the fall/winter 2010/2011 show in Paris this weekend went beyond our most vivid Technicolor dreams. Literally inspired by flowers and French gardens, the models walked in eye-popping creations with petal-like flourishes by designer John Galliano. Together, with the bulbous updos created by hairstylist Orlando Pita and the bright, color-blocked eye makeup by makeup artist Pat McGrath, the runway became a botanical wonderland.

Every mode's eyelids were covered in horizontal blocks of saturated color: Some girls had grass-green stripes from the bridge of the nose to beyond the outer corners of the eyes; others had aqua-blue lids, or lilac, or red, or even tangerine-orange. And as if that wasn't enough drama, their mouths were painted deep wine and burgundy hues.

The hair towered above the models' heads like an amazingly manicured topiary. (Pita wrapped the hair around actual balls to give it a round shape.) Realistic? Not really. Jaw-dropping-ly awesome? Absolutely.